Staying Classy: Smartphone Caller ID Etiquette 101

Thanks to the power of caller ID, we’ve been able to screen, block and now in the age of smartphones, with the help of caller profiling and call blocking apps, we now have the ability to identify callers even if they’re not in our contact lists.

However, with these abilities, comes the question, what is the proper and professional way to answer the phone, without looking like a creeper or causing callers to question their privacy?

2. Do not assume who you are calling has the same caller ID capabilities as you do, or has looked at their caller ID before they pick up the phone. Identify yourself despite the capabilities smartphones have to identify callers.

Don’t:
Call recipient: Hello, this is Kelly
You: Did you receive my email about the design that includes the new menu items?
Call recipient: Email? Design? Menu items? Who is this?

Do:
Call recipient: Hello, this is Kelly
You: Hey Kelly, this is Bruce from marketing, did you receive my email about the design that includes the new menu items?
Call recipient: Oh yes I did! They’ve been sent out to the printers and should be ready in two days!

3. It’s hard to hide a call from caller ID especially when you dialed the wrong number. To avoid a hostile return call, it’s best to leave a message or to directly apologize to the caller that you had misdialed.

You: “I’m sorry, but I must have dialed the wrong number.”

4. On the flip side, resist calling every number on your caller ID that you may have missed. If the caller did not leave a message, it may not have been an important call.

5. However, if you can’t resist calling a number you may have missed, do not be rude and scold the person for not leaving a message. Politely call them back and say that you had seen they had called, and that you were calling back in case they needed anything.

Call recipient: Hello
You: Hi this is Joe, I saw that you had called but did not leave a message, is there anything I could help you with?
Call recipient: No, I’m sorry I must have dialed the wrong number.

6. So not to spook callers, tell them that you are using a caller ID app if you decide to answer the phone with their name (i.e. Hey Julie, what’s up!). It’s best to tell them how the app works and the features it gives you such as, identifying a caller even if their number is not in your contact list.

7. And lastly, if you decide to answer a call with the caller’s name, do so in the appropriate instance, with a friend, family member, close colleague, or co-worker.

These tips can be interchangeable depending on the circumstance and caller, but remember being polite goes a long way.

Allison Sakounthong is the Marketing Manager and was previously a local reporter, now using her sleuthing skills as a Hiya caller ID specialist keeping users up to date on the latest phone scams, phone protection, and industry news. She is a native Seattle-ite and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Journalism.